Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium cultivar Annecy Dark Yellow.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and referred to by the name xe2x80x98Annecy Dark Yellowxe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally occurring whole plant mutation of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Annecy Yellow, not patented. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor on Apr. 9, 2001 within a population of plants of the cultivar Annecy Yellow in a controlled environment in ""s Gravenzande, The Netherlands.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings in ""s Gravenzande, The Netherlands since May 10, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Annecy Dark Yellow has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Annecy Dark Yellowxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Annecy Dark Yellowxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Anemone type inflorescences with spooned yellow-colored ray and darker yellow-colored disc florets; typically grown as a spray type.
2. Strong and erect flowering stems.
3. Early flowering response.
4. Good postproduction longevity.
5. Resistant to Chrysanthemum White Rust.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the parent, the cultivar Annecy Yellow, primarily in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar Annecy Yellow have lighter yellow-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Annecy Lemon, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/654,395, primarily in ray and disc floret coloration.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Yellow Bijoux, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,329. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in ""s Gravenzande, The Netherlands, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yellow Bijoux in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were stronger growing than plants of the cultivar Yellow Bijoux.
2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered earlier than plants of the cultivar Yellow Bijoux.
3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more freely flowering than plants of the cultivar Yellow Bijoux.
4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences than plants of the cultivar Yellow Bijoux.
5. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were resistant to Chrysanthemum White Rust whereas plants of the cultivar Yellow Bijoux were susceptible to Chrysanthemum White Rust.